The Last of the Clan
by Blackheart214
Summary: Kuro Genkotsu's clan was killed when the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked. Thirteen years later he joins Team Guy to keep the legacy of his clan alive. Rated T for possible language and some possible suggestive themes. Tenten/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: Okay this is my first Naruto fanfic. It may suck because I do not know as much about Naruto as I'd like to, seeing as how I started watching the show a little late. But I hope it goes well and I hope you like it.**

**Oh, almost forgot the disclaimer-**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or the characters. Kuro Genkotsu, my OC, **_**does **_**belong to me.**

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Guy entered Tsunade's office. She had requested his presence with a special assignment that only he might be able to handle.

"You wanted to see me Lady Tsunade?" asked the eccentric jounin.

The seemingly young, compulsive gambling woman sat behind her desk, which as usual was covered with paperwork. Shizune was by her side holding Tonton.

"Yes Guy. I have an assignment that may prove to be a great test of your skill". The jounin suddenly became very excited at hearing this.

"A test of my skill!? Name the challenge Lady Tsunade and with the Flame of Youth I will pass with flying colors!" Tsunade grew slightly annoyed of his over excessive enthusiasm. Shizune stifled a giggle.

"Anyway, I'm sure you remember the incident with Yakumo, Kurenai's old student."

"Yes, I remember" Guy said recalling his experience with the exceptionally powerful genjustu user.

"This assignment is similar to the one the Third Hokage bestowed upon Kurenai. I need you and your team to train a special student".

"Whats so special about him?" asked Guy.

"He's the last of the Genkotsu clan".

"The Genkotsu clan!?" Guy asked surprised. He had heard of this clan before but, not too much. All he really knew was that they were the first to be destroyed during the Nine-Tailed Fox attack.

This time Shizune spoke up.

"The Genkotsu were renowned for their skill in taijutsu. Their speed and power even rivaled the Hyuuga clan! It is said they were capable of reducing entire fortresses to rubble with a single punch!"

"I see but, I still don't why does you need me to train him. Surely someone with his history and skill won't need training".

"Well, as Shizune said, the Genkotsu clan was destroyed when the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked. He was only a two years old at the time and therefore didn't get the chance to be trained by them. Of course he has natural talent but it may not be enough. The Genkotsu were always loyal to this village so we owe it to them to make sure that this boy can become strong. And since you and your team are the most adept at using taijutsu, it makes perfect sense for you to train him" said the blonde Hokage.

"I understand. I'll do it" Guy said flashing his trademark smile and thumbs-up.

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Lee, Neji, and Tenten were walking towards the training field. Guy had told them to meet him there as soon as possible.

"I wonder what Guy-sensei has planned for us" wondered Tenten.

"Maybe it is a new training regiment" suggested an eager Lee.

"We won't know until we get there" said a calm Neji.

Within minutes they reached the training field. Guy was standing there waiting for them.

"I'll bet you're all wondering why I called you here". All three of them nodded. "We you see… Lady Tsunade has given us a special assignment".

"What kind of assignment Guy-sensei?" asked Lee. Guy then turned towards the woods.

"You can come out now" he called out into the woods.

The three students watched as a figure stepped out into view. The figure was a young boy about the same age as the rest of them. He had a handsome face with dark brown eyes, both of which didn't show any emotion. He had long jet black hair that went past his shoulders. He wore a dark grey, skin-tight, sweater, dark grey pants, and black ninja sandals. On his hands he had black leather gloves and, like Lee, his headband was wrapped around his waist.

Lee and Neji just stared. Tenten was busy observing every inch of him. She took notice of how tight the sweater was on his muscular torso and how handsome his face was. This caused her cheeks to go slightly pink.

"This is Kuro Genkotsu. Lady Tsunade has ordered that we train him and make him apart of our team" Guy said as he went to stand beside Kuro.

"Genkotsu!? You mean as in the Genkotsu clan?" asked a surprised Neji.

"Oh, so you have heard of them" said Guy.

"What is this Genkotsu clan Neji?" asked Lee.

"They were clan of ninja that specialized in taijutsu. Their power rivaled that of my own clan. I thought they were all killed during the Nine-Tailed Fox attack".

"Wow… so he's the last of his clan just like Sasuke?" asked Tenten who was still staring at Kuro.

"It would seem so" Neji answered.

"Well now that we got that out of the way, why don't you say hello to your team Kuro" Guy said to the new team member.

Kuro looked up at them and flatly said "Hello". Lee was the first to step forward.

"Hello Kuro, I'm Lee. It is an honor to have you join our team" Lee said with a grin, shaking Kuro's hand. "This is Neji and Tenten" he said pointing towards the other two. Neji simply nodded and Tenten waved shyly.

"Okay now everyone, today you will all have one-on-one sparring sessions with Kuro. Our goal for today is to get him acquainted with your fighting styles so that you will be able to manage as a team better" Gai said to his team. "Lee, why don't you go first?" Gai said to his star pupil with a smile.

"Yes Gai-sensei".

Kuro went to one end of the field and Lee went to the other. Lee got into his fighting stance while Kuro entered a wolf stance. Gai, Neji, and Tenten stood on the side lines watching with keen interest. Neither knew how the Genkotsu fought and were excited to see what their new teammate could do.

"Kuro, are you ready?" asked Lee.

"Are you?" Kuro asked flatly.

"Okay… BEGIN FIGHTING!" Guy shouted.

**Well? What do you think? Good? Bad?**

**Keep in mind this is my first Naruto fanfic ever. **

**Read and Review please.**


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as Guy said start both Lee and Kuro ran towards each other. Lee was the first to strike. He sent a high kick toward Kuro's head which was blocked easily by the stoic shinobi. Lee darted around Kuro sending a series of punches and kicks at his body but Kuro had no problem blocking the attacks. Lee then sent another high kick at Kuro but instead of blocking the attack Kuro ducked below it did a roundhouse kick, knocking Lee off to the side. Lee skidded to a stop and took off toward Kuro again. Kuro braced himself.

"LEAF HURRICANE" Lee shouted as he attacked Kuro. It proved to be more forceful than Kuro thought. The attack had sent Kuro sliding back a few feet. After he regained his composure Kuro came back at Lee and reared his fist back.

"WOLF'S CLAW" Kuro shouted as he sent a clawed hand at Lee's chest. Lee was able to guard but he definitely felt the force behind the attack. Kuro then sent a barrage of strikes at Lee. Lee was able to guard against them but, some came very close to hitting the mark. Lee was able to stop the flow of strikes with a Leaf Whirlwind which tripped Kuro. Lee decided to take advantage of the situation and attempted to punch Kuro while he was in mid-air. Kuro blocked the punch before landing on the ground. He then did a sweep kick while lying down and sent Lee to the ground as well. When Lee fell to the ground Kuro tried slamming his fist on him. Lee was able to roll out of the way before it could make contact however. Both got back up and returned to their fighting stances, ready to continue fighting.

"Okay, that's enough" Guy said from the sideline. Both Kuro and Lee dropped their guards. Lee's grin returned and he bowed to Kuro.

"You truly are a skilled fighter. I am honored to have you on our team" Lee said with a smile. Kuro only responded with a smirk and bowed back at Lee.

"Great job you two" said Guy. "Alright, Neji now its your turn" Guy said to the Hyuuga beside him. Neji walked over to where Lee was and then Lee took Neji's place next to Guy.

Kuro and Neji stared at each other for a minute. Both were trying to size the other one up. Lee and Tenten watched intently. They were anxious to see if what Neji had said about the Genkotsu clan was true.

"I guess will find out the answer now" said Neji.

"Perhaps" Kuro said getting into a Hun Gar stance while Neji took his Gentle Fist stance.

"BEGIN" Guy shouted.

Kuro and Neji ran at each other. Neji sent a few a strikes but Kuro easily swatted them away. Neji didn't want to use his Byakugan just yet. He wanted to get a better feel of his opponents fighting style. Neji threw another punch at Kuro but, just like his fight with Lee, he evaded it and followed up with an attack of his own. He concentrated some chakra into his left leg and sent a hard straight kick into Neji's chest. Neji was just barely able to block the attack but he was still sent flying through the air. He did a mid-air back flip and landed on his feet. Neji realized that in order to stop another attack like that he would have to cut off Kuro's flow of chakra.

"Byakugan!" he said. Kuro's chakra network became fully clear to Neji. His objective was to cut off the chakra flow in his arms and legs. He dashed towards Kuro and and prepared to strike. Several attacks came at Kuro; each one almost hit him. After dodging Neji's last attack, Kuro concentrated some chakra into his right arm. He reared his arms back and thrust it forward. Neji was able to evade the attack by a mere inch but he could still feel the chakra's pressure against his face. Kuro's attack however had left him vulnerable and Neji was able to cut off the chakra in his right arm. Neji went for another hit but Kuro grabbed his arm and pulled him into the path of his right fist. Neji side-stepped the attack and slid under Kuro's arm and sent a kick towards Kuro's jaw. Kuro grabbed Neji's foot and used it as a spring board to propel himself upward and do a front flip kick into Neji's gut. Neji rolled out of the way of the attack and quickly got to his feet. Both of them charged at each other sending several punches and kicks at each other. Though they both denied it they were getting tired. Neji had rarely fought some one who was on the same scale of skill as his and Kuro's fight with Lee had put Kuro at disadvantage right from the get go.

"Okay, you guys can stop now" Guy finally said. The two shinobi dropped their guard. Both were panting heavily.

"I guess… we'll have to find out who's stronger another day" Kuro said while gasping for air.

"Heh… things will definitely get interesting with you on our team" Neji said with a smirk. Kuro only smirked back, agreeing that things would indeed get interesting soon.

"I guess it's my turn" Tenten said taking a step forward.

"Wait Tenten, I think that's enough for today" Guy said causing Tenten to stop and look back at him.

"But-"

"Kuro is starting to get tired. It wouldn't be fair for you to fight him in his current condition. Besides it looks like a storm is heading this way" Guy said looking at the dark clouds far in the distance. "We'll pick up where we left off when it passes".

Tenten was really wanted to fight Kuro, mostly just to get a little closer to him and also to show him what she could do. But, she had to agree, Kuro did look exhausted and the last thing she wanted was to fight him while he was less than one hundered percent.

"Don't worry Tenten, you'll get your chance soon enough" Guy said to his disappointed student. Then he turned his attention back to Kuro and Neji. "Good job, you both fought with much fire in your hearts! Now go home and rest up. We resume our training when the storms' over".

With that they all headed back to the the village. Tenten slowed her pace so she was right beside Kuro.

"Umm… you fight very well" she said with her cheeks slightly pink.

"Thanks" he said flatly. She didn't really expect this response. She wanted to talk with him but it seemed he really wasn't interested in conversation so she didn't press it. She didn't want him to dislike her when they had just met. So they walked in silence. Lee and Guy were discussing how they would still train during the storm, while Neji stood beside Lee. Kuro and Tenten followed in silence. She had to admit it wasn't exactly what she wanted but still being close to Kuro was good enough for her. She had a hard time keeping her eyes off his body and she continued looking until they reached the village.

Lee and Guy went off to do some ridiculous amount of worlouts, while Neji headed back to the Hyuuga compound. Leaving Tenten and Kuro alone.

"So… I'll see you around?" she asked.

"Sure" Kuro said before walking in the direction of his home.

Tenten stared after him, wanting more than what she got today. She hoped it woul get better as they spent more time together. Then she left towards her home with Kuro on her mind the whole time.

**Authors Note:**** Well there you have it, the basics of Kuro's fighting style. Sorry if it isn't too good. I'm not really good at describing fight scenes since I don't know the names of a whole lot of moves.**

**Read and Review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

The storm had indeed come. For the past two days it had rained constantly. The usually busy streets of the Hidden Leaf Village were empty.

Tenten had been cooped up inside her apartment since that day at the training field. Guy and Lee were no doubt using the rain as just another source of their bizarre training and who knew where Neji was. Tenten was very anxious. Guy said that once the rain stopped their training would continue. She wanted very much to show Kuro what she could do and also get as close to him as possible.

'_Wow, this must've been how Sakura felt when Sasuke was around' _she thought.

She looked out the window for any hint of the rain stopping but it seemed this would go on for quite a while longer. Then she remembered Kuro's sparring with Lee and Neji. He was definitely powerful if was able to hold his own against them. If she was going to impress him she would need to prepare herself.

She decided to go out for some training at the training hall near the academy. It was probably empty from the rain so she would have it all to herself.

She grabbed her umbrella and headed outside. The rain was coming down pretty hard so she hurried towards the training hall.

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Kuro stood in the middle of the training hall, his eyes closed. He was concentrating all his chakra. He hadn't had any training since the he joined his new team and he was restless. Usually all he thought about was training and getting stronger in order to honor the legacy of his clan and he wasn't going to let rain get in the way of that.

When he finished focusing his chakra his eyes snapped open and got he started performing various moves on invisible targets. At some point he pulled out a kunai and started practicing with it. When he was finished he threw at a target on the wall. It would have been a perfect hit if it hadn't collided with another kunai just inches from the center of the target.

Kuro looked for the source of the interference and saw a girl leaning against the wall. He realized it was the same girl on his team.

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Tenten was leaning against the wall while twirling another kunai on her finger. She looked at Kuro with a grin on her face.

"Training?" she asked.

"Yeah" he said flatly while pulling another kunai out his back pouch. Once again Tenten didn't get the response she wanted. Kuro was more stoic than Shino, if that was even possible.

Kuro then went back to his training. Tenten thought about leaving but, she quickly got another idea.

"You know… we never did get to have our sparring match". At this Kuro immediately stopped moving and looked at her.

"What are you suggesting?" he asked.

"Well since this rain probably won't stop for a while, why wait?" she said with a sly smile. Kuro looked at for a few seconds and the smirked.

"Alright" he said.

Teneten moved to her side of the room and got into her stance while Kuro got into his. They stared at each other for a few seconds and then they both charged at each other. Tenten struck first with a punch aimed at Kuro's mid-section. He blocked it and retaliated with a straight jab which Tenten was able to block.

They stayed in close quarters combat for a few moments, neither showing any signs of fatigue. Until Tenten decided it was time to show Kuro what she could really do. Before Kuro could it her with a crescent moon kick, Tenten jumped back into a backlflip and tossed some shuriken at Kuro. She was surprised to see that Kuro wasn't going to move. Just when it looked like he was going to get, all the shuriken were caught between his fingers. Tenten was speechless at his speed and accuracy. Kuro then threw them back at her. Tenten quickly pulled out more shuriken and threw them at the ones coming towards her, knocking them out of the air.

Tenten realized ordinary taijutsu and simple ninja tools wasn,t going to cut it here. She was going to have to get very serious. She pulled out a scroll and bit her thumb. She then unwrapped the scroll and wiped her bleeding thumb against and in a puff of smoke two tonfas appeared in her hands.

Kuro charged at her and tried to land a blow on her but with the tonfas Tenten's defense had greatly increased. Tenten then started attacking Kuro with the tonfas. Kuro was able to block most of the attacks but Tenten still managed to land a blow to his side. Kuro jumped back and felt the spot where Tenten had hit him already beginning to feel a bruise form.

"Did I hurt you?" Tenten asked with concern. Kuro only chuckled.

"Hardly".

"You want to stop?" Tenten asked still concerned.

Kuro didn't answer. He took off his gloves and stuffed them in his pockets. He then pulled a scroll out of his back pouch. He did the same as Tenten and bit his thumb then wiped the blood on the scroll. In a puff of smoke a pair of gauntlets appeared on his hands. The gauntlets were silver and made of metal, had clawed finger tips and the wrist guards went halfway up Kuro's forearm.

Tenten was shocked by the weapons. For a while she believed to be the only young shinobi to summon weapons.

Kuro then got into the tiger claw stance.

"Come on" he said with a smirk.

Tenten wasn't about to give up. She wanted to prove to Kuro that she was stronger than she looked and hopefully gain a little more of his attention. She charged at Kuro with her tonfas and swung at him several times. Kuro swatted each of her attacks with the gauntlets and pushed her back. He then came at her and slashed with his clawed hands. Tenten could see how sharp the claws were and tried to avoid the attacks rather than guard against them, for she knew that if any one of Kuro's attacks made contact with her tonfas they would be destroyed and then she would be defensless.

Kuro raised his hand up in the air and brougt it down hard. Tenten jumped back from the strike before it hit her. Seizing the opportunity, she did a double axe handle slam. Her attack was stopped when Kuro grabbed the tonfas with his gauntlets and yanked them out of her hands. When he threw them on the ground they vanished in a puff of smoke.

Tenten knew it was over. Her weapons and taijutsu wouldn't do any good against him.

"I guess you win" she said smiling weakly.

"Looks like it" he said dispelling the gauntlets and placing his glove back on his hands.

"What were those? I've seen weapons like that before".

"They're gauntlets that a amplify chakra, increasing the power of my strikes. They were used by my clan" he said flatly.

"Well you certainly are skilled" Tenten said with a smile.

"Thanks. Your skills are impressive as well" he said as started walking away. Tenten really didn't want to watch him go. She wanted to know more about him.

"Mind if walk with you?" she asked catching up to him.

"If you want" he said without looking at her.

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The two walked together in the rain. Tenten stood under her umbrella since Kuro insisted on not needing it.

"Are you sure you don't want to get under the umbrella? You're getting really wet".

"I'm fine" he said without looking at her.

They walked in silence. Tenten realized she wasn't going to get anything out of this way.

"So uh… do you remember anthing about your clan?" she asked.

"No" he said still not looking at her. Tenten was a little disappointed since it seemed he didn't want to talk. She even began to wonder if he wanted her near him. She didn't ask him anything else and they continued to walk in silence.

When they reached Kuro's home which, was in an apartment complex a few blocks away from the Hokage tower, Tenten made one last try at communication.

"Thanks for sparring with me today. Its difficult to find someone to train with in this weather".

"You're welcome. See you around" he said as he stepped into the building leaving Tenten outside.

Tenten was a little hurt by his behavior but tried to believe that he had his reasons. So, reluctantly, she walked to her home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** **Looking back at the last few chapters I've written I realize how short they are. I've taken a break from writing in order to learn how to get better at it. Hopefully my improvement will show in this chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER~ I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Kuro Genkotsu however **_**does **_**belong to me.**

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The next day the rain had ceased. The sun had finally shone its bright rays on the Hidden Leaf Village and people were eager to take complete advantage of the beautiful weather. Children were running about playing games while the adults were out and about working or just enjoying the day. Truly, it seemed like the sun had a positive effect on everyone in the village… except for one person in particular.

To Kuro it didn't matter if it was raining or if the sun was at its brightest. Everyday was a day devoted to training. No games, no leisure time, no social activity. The only thing the sun did for him was guarantee that his training with Guy-sensei would resume and he would get even stronger.

As soon as he woke up did a few pushups and crunches, ate some food, got dressed, and headed for the training field were he would meet his team. He though he would be able to walk in silence but, a certain ninja, clad in a green jumpsuit, was about to put an end to that.

"Kuro, it is good to see you" Lee said as he caught up to Kuro.

"Is Guy-sensei meeting us at the field?" Kuro said flatly.

"Yes. I can't wait to see what he has planned for us today" Lee said a little to overly excited for Kuro's taste.

"Guy-sensei and I trained even during the storm" Lee said proudly. "What about you Kuro? What did you do the past few days?"

"I trained as well" Kuro said monotone.

"By yourself?"

"No. Tenten and I had our sparring session at the training hall yesterday".

"Really?! I would love to have seen that fight. Tenten is a very skilled ninja. I'm sure she put up a good fight" Lee said with confidence

"She did. I was actually quite impressed with her skill. I actually had to use my special technique against her" Kuro said recalling the fight from the previous day.

"Special technique? What is it" Lee said, now quite curious.

"You'll see soon enough" Kuro said as they neared the village gate. Kuro then noticed three people coming towards the village. One was a man who were a jounin uniform and a mask over the lower half of his face and his headband covering his left eye. He also seemed to be focusing intently on the book he held in front of his face. Another one was a girl who wore a red outfit and had short pink hair. The last one was a boy that wore bright orange pants and a jacket. He had blond hair and what appeared to be three whisker-like marks on both sides of his face.

"Oh look it is Naruto and Kakashi-sensei… and the lovely Sakura" said Lee who seemed to blush at mentioning the pink haired girl.

"Are they strong?" Kuro asked while staring at the trio.

"Well Kakashi sensei is incredibly strong. He and Guy-sensei are eternal rivals. Sakura may not be anywhere near as strong as you and I but she puts her heart into being a ninja… and she is the most beautiful girl in the Leaf Village" Lee finished with much passion.

"And the other one?"

"Naruto is definitely a great ninja. He pours his heart and soul into getting stronger everyday. He is the only person I know who has ever been able to beat Neji in an real fight!"

That was all Kuro needed to hear. As soon as Lee finished saying how this boy had defeated someone who's strength matched his own, he took off running straight for Naruto. Kuro figured if this Naruto had the power to defeat Neji than he would definitely prove to be a test of his skills… or so he thought.

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Naruto was talking with Sakura about the training they just went through. Well, Sakura was actually yelling. Naruto was just enduring the pain of her words and hoping he wouldn't have to endure the pain of her fist.

"Geez Sakura I said I was sorry" Naruto said with his arms in front of him to defend himself.

"You almost hit me with the shuriken, you idiot! Do you realize you could have killed me?" she yelled at the cowering blond.

"It was an accident, I got over excited" Naruto said trying to defend his actions.

What had happened was: earlier Kakashi was having practice throwing shuriken while blindfolded. He told them it took great concentration and patience which Sakura had plenty of. Naruto on the other hand, rushed in and thought he had enough skill to hit his target without much effort. Unfortunately he didn't realize he was facing the wrong way and threw his shuriken right at Sakura. Luckily Kakashi deflected them with shuriken of his own before Sakura was hit.

"Sakura it was only an accident, lighten up" Kakashi said to his pink haired student. "And maybe now you know to think before you act, Naruto".

"Don't worry Kakashi-sensei. Next time I'll show you how focused I can be. I can see an attack before it even co-" he didn't get to finish because a fist collided with his face and sent him flying back a few yards. The fist, for once, didn't come from Sakura, but from Kuro Genkotsu.

Sakura stared wide eyed at what had just happened while Kakashi merely stared in confusion.

"What the hell did you do that for" Sakura yelled to Kuro.

Kuro didn't acknowledge her, he only looked off to where Naruto had landed.

"_He _beat Neji?" Kuro asked himself. Based on what Kuro knew, Neji was an incredibly skilled fighter. Beating someone like that would take great power and speed. Yet the boy Kuro just hit wasn't even able to defend himself from an oncoming attack.

"Hey, I'm talking to you" Sakura continued to yell at Kuro.

"Oh, sorry about that" he said flatly.

"Sorry?! Why did you just hit him" she asked, still yelling.

"My teammate told me he was strong. I wanted to see for myself".

"Teammate? Oh, so you're Guy's new student" Kakashi said to Kuro.

"Yes" was all he said.

"So you're the last of the Genkostu clan?"

Kuro only nodded. He then started to forward to the training field and Lee quickly caught up with him.

"Sorry about this Kakashi-sensei" Lee said to the jounin.

One they got close enough, Kuro stared at the stunned body of Naruto. It still bothered him how this boy could defeat someone like Neji. Lee took the time to make one last apology to Naruto before finally heading to the training field with Kuro.

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By the time Lee and Kuro arrived at the training field, Neji, Tenten, and Guy were already there waiting.

"There you two are, now we can finally begin" Guy said with a grin.

"What will our training be like today Guy-sensei?" Lee asked already excited.

"Today we'll be practicing our team work" Guy said with a thumbs up.

"There will be times when the enemy will attempt to separate you from each other in order to make killing you easier. They may have traps or enemy ninja sent to kill you. You must learn to watch each others backs if this happens"

"I've set up an obstacle course. You'll be separated into two teams. Together you must protect each other from the traps I've set and get to the lake." Guy instructed.

"Lee, you and Neji will take the path on the left to the lake. Tenten you and Kuro will take the right" he said pointing at the two.

Tenten had mixed feelings about this. Part of her was happy that she would get to be close to Kuro and possibly get to know him a little better. The other part wished she was partnered with Neji or Lee since Kuro didn't seem interested in her at all.

Kuro feelings weren't about who his actual team mate was. He felt that as long as this would help him get stronger it didn't matter who he was partnered with. Even though he would have like to have been paired with Neji or even Lee, he had to admit: he was curious how he Tenten would function together.

"Get ready" Guy told them. Both teams got ready for to dash towards the lake.

"One…Two…Three…GO!" Guy shouted and the four shinobi dashed into the woods.

Kuro and Tenten ran side by side as fast as they could into the woods. Not five seconds into the woods did they come across the first trap. The trap must have been activated by a trip wire made invisible by chakra. Once it was broken about a hundred kunai came flying out of the trees.

Kuro could have avoided them without much effort but he didn't know about Tenten. Luckily his question was about to be answered. Suddenly Tenten moved in front of him and pulled out a scroll. She swung it around in a circle that covered both her and Kuro. Several hundred kunai flew out of the scroll and deflected the ones coming at them. Once they were safe, Tenten wrapped the scroll back up and put it back in her pouch. Then she turned to Kuro to see his reaction.

"That was impressive" he said in his usual tone, even though he really did mean it.

"Thanks" Tenten said, happy with his response. She then took the lead and ran forward. Unfortunately she accidentally broke another trip wire. This time a log attached to two ropes that were tied to a tree branch came swinging towards them.

"Look out" Kuro said as he ran in front of Tenten this time. He reared his right arm to his left side and swung it horizontally. The force of the impact shattered the log into hundreds of pieces that flew every which way.

The display of brut strength was more than enough to impress Tenten. Not to mention the feeling of seeing Kuro jump in to save her made her a little happy.

"Are you okay?" Kuro asked turning to his team mate.

"Yeah. Thanks" she said with a shy smile.

"Forget about it. Come on" he said running ahead while Tenten followed closely behind him.

The two spent the next hour avoiding trap holes, explosive tags, spiked logs, and even a few training dummies. Finally they made it to the lake. Guy was already there. Tenten looked around but she didn't see Lee or Neji. Did this mean she and Kuro actually got there first. She was right it turned out. Lee and Neji came out of the woods a minute after them. They both seemed a little disappointed since usually they were the quickest.

"Congratulations you two, you were the first ones here" Guy said to Kuro and Tenten. Tenten of course was ecstatic. Kuro only smirked in triumph. "You two are free to do as you please for the rest of the day"!

Tenten became even happier. Now she wouldn't have to spend hours doing ridiculous amounts of exercises.

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Kuro and Tenten walked back to the village. Lee and Neji had to stay behind and do laps with Guy as punishment for finishing second. Lee seemed okay with but before Kuro and Tenten left, Neji had a look in his eyes that said "take me with you".

When they got to the village Tenten was feeling a little bold. She decided she would Kuro directly to spend some time with her.

"So what are you going to do now?" she asked him.

"I don't know" he answered. Then out of nowhere, a strange rumbling sound emitted from his stomach. Kuro hadn't eaten since breakfast. Tenten giggled at him while he blushed a little.

"I guess theres your answer" he said trying to hide his embarrassed.

"I know how we can fix that. Come with me" she said as she took his hand which surprised him quite a bit.

"But I-" he tried to protest but she was already leading him through the village. He could have pulled away and left but he didn't want to ruin their realationship as teammates. Beside he figured she earned something from him after what she had shown him in the past two days.

After a while of walking with her, Kuro had to admit: Tenten's hand holding his did feel kind of nice. He never felt this way before and he wasn't sure how he should feel. Then he took a look at her face. Kuro couldn't deny it, she was attractive. But, once again this feeling was new to him and he didn't know how to feel about it. He tried ignoring these feelings out of confusion of what they were but, was finding it difficult. Finally they stopped at small stand.

"Where are we?" Kuro asked her.

"Ichiraku's" she said with a smile. "Have you ever been here?"

"No" he said while staring at the stand.

"Well you're in for a treat" she said as she pulled him into the shop.

Teuchi greeted them upon their entry and asked for their order. Tenten had told Kuro the food was on her. Kuro had never had never eaten ramen before. Usually his meals consisted of food pills and meats while training.

"So what do you want?" Tenten asked him.

"Uh… whatever you're getting I guess".

"Alright".

She had ordered her usual meal for the both of them. It only took a couple of minutes for Teuchi to present them with warm bowls of his famous ramen. Tenten started eating. Kuro took his chopsticks and tried to figure out how to hold them properly. He watched how Tenten held hers and tried to copy her actions. After finally getting the hang of it he proceeded to eating his food. This however, proved to be just as difficult as using the chopsticks. Every time he picked up some noodles they slipped out the sticks grip. Tenten giggled as she watched him. It was like watching a child eat on its own for the first time. Kuro eventually grew tired of trying and brought the bowl up to his mouth. He poured some of the broth into his mouth but it was too hot and he ended up burning his tongue. Tenten only giggled harder. Then, she picked up his bowl and chopsticks.

"Here" she said while picking up some noodles for him.

Kuro couldn't believe she was actually suggesting feeding him. He felt embarrassed, appalled, angry, and… something else. It was that feeling from earlier, the one he felt while she held his hand. He couldn't deny the fact that he was hungry so- for lack of any knowledge of this new feeling- he once again decided to ignore it and open his mouth for her.

She gently placed the food into his mouth. Kuro chewed it for a bit. The taste was new to him but it wasn't bad at all. Tenten continued to feed him until his bowl was empty. After that she paid for their food and they both left the stand.

"Uh… you didn't have to pay for me" Kuro told Tenten.

"Well I figured I'd repay you for what you did earlier today" she replied.

"That was nothing. I did what any teammate would do".

"Yeah but… before you came around I always came second to Lee or Neji. It felt great to be first for once".

"I don't see why you would need my help. You're definitely more than capable of besting them based on what I've seen".

His comment caused Tenten to blush.

"Thanks" she said. They stood in silence for a few moments.

"Well, uh…" Kuro finally spoke up, "I better get home. We might have a mission tomorrow. Best if we get some rest" he said as he turned to walk away.

Tenten didn't want it to end. She got more of him tonight than she ever had before. She had to see how far she could go. Maybe tonight she might get some answers about his past.

"Mind if I walk home with you"? she asked him.

"Uhh… sure, if you want" he replied.

She quickly caught up to him. They walked side by side for a few minutes, not saying anything. Finall, Tenten decided it was time to give him some questions. Something he wouldn't have a problem answering.

"So that was your very first time eating ramen?"

"Couldn't you tell? You were the one feeding me" he answered while actually looking at her.

"What do usually eat"?

"Just food pills, meats, anything I can get quick energy from for my training".

"You think you might change your diet after tonight?"

"Definitely. I never had food like that before. Hopefully next time I'll be able to do it myself".

Soon they reached Kuro's house. Tenten was upset that it was over but at least she got something out of him.

"Thanks again for the meal" he said before opening the door.

"Wait! Uh… what're you doing tomorrow?"

"Well… If we didn't have a mission I was going to train".

"Oh…" Tenten said solemnly.

"What?" Kuro asked confused about the tone of her voice.

"Its nothing. See you around". With that she walked off.

Kuro could never have realized how disappointed Tenten was. How she had hoped that after tonight he might see her as more than just a teammate. So confused and happy to be home he got ready for bed.

**Wow that was long. Whats gonna happen now? You won't know for a while :P, jk. Anyway it might be some time before I update again. School is starting to piss me of. Let me tell you: anyone senior year is fun is lying to you. On another note how about some review people. A little feedback might get me motivated to update quicker.**

**R&R please.**


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